Road test: 2006 Porsche 911 Turbo

Car Review: 2006 Porsche 911 Turbo

EDMONTON – Driving sports cars in slippery conditions provides a good appreciation of the value of winter tires.

The Porsche 911 Turbo was equipped with 18-inch Dunlop ice radials and, combined with the Porsche Stability Management System, was a sure-footed ride. The all-wheel-drive Porsche was able to handle snow-covered residential streets with ease and to put the power down on pavement, either dry or wet.

The winter tires allowed the Porsche to hook up well enough for me to experience some of its breathtaking performance.

The same could not be said for a rear-drive sports car that was immobilized by a combination of performance summer tires and snow-covered streets. In fairness to this car, I’m not going to name it, since the vehicle apparently performed much better once winter tires were installed. Without winter tires, this car would move only on bare pavement.

The 911 Turbo provided a demonstration of how sophisticated stability management and anti-lock brakes can make a car a pleasure to drive. Too often, less refined ABS and traction control intervene too early and with irritating frequency. On the other hand, the Porsche system seems to intervene only when needed.

Although the 911 Turbo is not the kind of car that I’d think of driving all winter, it’s obviously more than capable of handling the task. In addition to having the traction necessary for winter, the heater is more than capable of chasing away the winter chill and keeping the windows clear.

The Porsche 911 Turbo is a car that can put a smile on any auto enthusiast’s face. Build the revs on the turbocharged engine and shift through the six speeds and this machine becomes a rocket. The driver soon realizes that the 300 km/h on the speedometer is not merely wishful thinking, especially if there was some place to really let the car loose.

But it’s also a car that can be docile and easily adapts to the limits of driving on city streets. The 911 Turbo drives just fine in third gear along city streets without exhibiting high-strung manners.

However, on the open highway, take the revs past 4,000 when shifting gears and the 911 Turbo lets you know that it can take you to speeds that will gobble up the kilometres (while earning you an expensive speeding ticket.) The car can take you to the 100 km/h speed limit in second gear.

The ride is firm — as you’d expect in a high-performance sports car — but not punishing.

The 911 Turbo carries a full line of creature comforts such as power leather seats, automatic air conditioning and a good sound system with a six-channel amplifier and 10 speakers.

While the 911 Turbo is a sports car with few competitors, the price will keep it out of the reach of all but the most well-heeled enthusiasts. Including freight, my tester carried a $197,600 sticker price.

I’ll need to win several million in the lottery before I’d consider buying one of these cars. I’m afraid there would be a number of other items on the list before I would buy this car, as much as I enjoy driving it.

However, Ben Kolbuc of Norden Autohaus said his dealership sells several 911 Turbos every year. So far this year, the dealership has sold five coupes and one cabriolet, with two more cabriolets on order.

“We sell all we can get,” Kolbuc said.

Although owners of the Turbo coupe are unlikely to drive the car during the winter, many owners of non-turbo 911s drive their cars year-round, Kolbuc said. The presence of sand and gravel that can damage the cars is a factor in keeping them off the road in winter.